THE big shake-up in non-league football was rubber stamped at the weekend but Whites face an anxious wait to see if they can take part.

A full FA Council meeting at Torquay on Saturday voted 71 per cent in favour of the reforms, with an overwhelming 65-1 vote from Dr Martens League clubs.

But, as reported in last week's Mercury, Dover Athletic's Creditor's Voluntary Agree-ment (CVA) technically app-ears to preclude them from joining the new Conference Two (South) from the start of season 2004-05.

However, an unofficial conversation with Conference chief executive John Moules has left Athletic officials quietly confident the CVA would not, after all, prevent them from joining the new league.

The new set-up cannot yet be regarded as 100 per cent definite as Ryman League officials oppose the new structure and are launching a legal action.

Provided the changes do take effect, the aim for Dr Martens Premier Division clubs next season will be to finish in the top 14 to take up a place in the 22-club Conference Two (South), which will be administered by the newly-formed Football Alliance.

The remaining Dr Martens Premier clubs would go into a weakened Southern League Premier or possibly the Isth-mian League Premier.

Dover, should they overcome the CVA hurdle and finish high enough in the league, would effectively find themselves among the Ryman Premier elite plus the eight most south-easterly Dr Martens clubs.

Financially, Whites would benefit as the new set-up would put an end to away trips to the Midlands and see more away fans at home games.

And play-offs, which would stimulate crowds and interest in the second half of the season in particular, could boost gates further.

Whites' chairman Mick Kemp reiterated his message that he believes Dover would be allowed into the new league.

He said: "We have had unofficial conversations with Confer-ence officials and put in a letter to the Conference with our feelings.

"We are not in administration and had full FA approval for the CVA.

"I can't see how they can exclude us.

"Nothing is set in concrete yet and nothing is going to be sorted out in the next few weeks.

"This will go on for months, into next year."

• Matt Carruthers may yet start the new season as a Dover player after all.

Carruthers was living back in the Dover area this week and knows that clubs chasing his signature Conference outfit Telford United are the latest tend to lose interest when they discover he has a year left on his contract and that they will therefore have to pay a fee.

And Mr Kemp confirmed that Carruthers' publicly-expressed wish to leave would not be held against him should he decide to stay at Dover.

"I never wanted him to go in the first place," he said. "We just let it ride, hoping he would turn up for pre-season training.

"He's still a Dover player and would be welcomed back."